Introduction
Huntingtin (HTT) is a large scaffolding protein essential for neuronal trafficking and cytoskeletal regulation . Expansion of its polyglutamine (polyQ) tract causes misfolding and aggregation, leading to Huntington’s disease (HD). Understanding HTT’s three-dimensional structure is crucial for linking its architecture to both normal function and disease pathology. A major challenge in HTT research has been understanding its full three-dimensional structure, because HTT is extremely big and flexible. The paper is associated with this structure (Guo et al., 2021) uses cryo-electron microscopy to reveal how HTT adopts a defined architecture only when bound to its stabilizing partner, HAP40.
Structural Overview
The cryo-EM structure of the **HTT–HAP40 complex** (PDB **6X9O**) reveals how Huntingtin (HTT) folds into a large, curved **α-solenoid** composed of HEAT repeats. In the visualization shown here:
- HTT is colored cyan – representing the full HEAT-repeat solenoid of Huntingtin.
- HAP40 is colored orange – bound tightly within the groove formed by HTT.
The HTT is usually divided into three major subdomains,
- N-HEAT domain – flexible and participates in multiple interaction interfaces.
- Bridge domain– a central region connecting N-HEAT and C-HEAT; influences HTT curvature.
- C-HEAT domain– a regulatory region sensitive to polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion.
HAP40 (orange) binds deep within the solenoid formed by HTT (cyan), that stabilizes HTT. This interaction is crucial because HTT without HAP40 becomes unstable, more flexible, and prone to degradation, explaining why their cellular levels are tightly correlated.
Click to view the overall structure:
HTT–HAP40 Interaction
The interface between HTT and HAP40 is extensive and form by hydrophobic packing and electrostatic complementarity. HAP40 effectively acts as a “molecular brace,” reducing the intrinsic flexibility of HTT’s HEAT-repeat regions. This stabilization provides a structural basis for many experimental observations, including why changes in HAP40 expression impact HTT solubility and turnover.
Click to view the interaction interface:
PolyQ-Proximal Region
Although the polyQ tract (exon 1) is not resolved in the cryo-EM map due to its flexibility, its approximate position relative to the N-HEAT domain can be said. The paper shows that polyQ expansion does not have large change HTT’s global fold, but it alters the range of conformations sampled by exon 1. This may influence how HTT interacts with other proteins and contributes to the early steps of HD pathology.
Biological Significance
The study reveals why HTT requires HAP40 for structural stability, how its HEAT repeats organize into defined superhelix, and why polyQ expansion affects dynamics rather than the overall fold. These insights help explain us these:
- why HTT stability depends on HAP40,
- how polyQ expansion perturbs local conformations,
- and which structural regions may serve as therapeutic targets for HD.
Why I Chose This Structure
I selected the HTT–HAP40 complex because it provides a direct structural framework for understanding Huntington’s disease.A prevalent neurodegenerative Disease in most of Europe. Creating interactive scenes helped me visualize how HEAT repeats, HAP40 binding, and the polyQ region all contribute to HTT’s behavior.
References
- Guo et al., 2021. Huntingtin structure is orchestrated by HAP40 and shows a polyglutamine-expansion-specific interaction with exon 1. Communications Biology. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02895-4
- PDB ID: 6X9O – RCSB Protein Data Bank
Author &Course
BI3323-Aug2025
